RAF 10 Event Recap - Gateway to Greatness

RAF10 felt like one of those nights people will still be talking about years from now.

A sold-out St. Louis crowd witnessed record-setting performances, dramatic title defenses, breakout stars, and moments that instantly became part of RAF history. Khamzat Chimaev needed just 44 seconds to make his presence felt. Keegan O’Toole delivered a hometown performance worthy of Match of the Night honors. Arman Tsarukyan continued his march toward superstardom. Aaron Pico reminded the wrestling world exactly what it had been missing. From the opening whistle to the final pinfall, RAF10 delivered on every level.

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Khamzat Chimaev vs Dillon Danis - Main Event Fireworks

Combat sports’ most intense competitor clashed with one of the most effective provocateurs in the main event.

Both Khamzat Chimaev and Dillon Danis carry elite grappling skills but the final dance of the night was a short one with Chimaev successfully landing a quick takedown followed by an immediate pinfall for the victory just 44 seconds into the matchup, marking the fastest pinfall in RAF history.

The highly anticipated post-match interview with “Borz” was bypassed following some extracurricular physicality following the final whistle blowing.

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Arman Tsarukyan vs Tony Ferguson - Tsarukyan Keeps Rolling

In his promotional debut, Tony Ferguson looked to extinguish a white-hot flame as he’s done time and time again. Arman Tsarukyan looked to collect one more skull before rolling into his RAF 11 main event matchup with Colby Covington.

Ferguson may be the man with the collegiate wrestling experience but it was Tsarukyan from the jump, scoring a takedown in under 30 seconds and never looking back. By the 1:20 mark of the first, he had secured two takedowns and exposure points giving him a 6-0 lead over “El Cucuy”

Just over 30 seconds into the second period he landed four exposure points to sew up the tech fall victory before facing off one final time with Colby Covington before squaring off in Milwaukee.

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Aaron Pico vs Lance Palmer - A King’s Homecoming

It’s been over ten years since freestyle wrestling abruptly waved goodbye to the sport’s next torch-bearer but Aaron Pico was back in his RAF debut taking on NCAA runner-up and PFL champion Lance Palmer.

Even after taking ten years off, Pico settled right back in with a takedown and gut-wrench that gave him a 4-0 lead in less than 20 seconds. Following another takedown shortly after, Pico closed out the first round with a 6-0 lead before getting right back to work in the second.

Pico would score exposure points before being reversed. With a score of 10-1, Pico would seal the tech fall victory with a takedown with just under a minute remaining in the second period.

RAF just may have another athlete looking to become the face of the organization when Pico proclaimed a desire to build the sport as well as the promotion after a ten-year hiatus.

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Lucia Yepez vs Kendra Ryan - More Yepez Domination

The RAF Strawweight Championship belt is getting comfortable around the waist of Lucia Yepez.

On paper, Yepez had her hands full when she toed the line against North Central’s four-time All-American but wrestled like she was shot out of a cannon scoring her first takedown in just over 20 seconds and never slowing down.

15 seconds after striking first, Yepez scored another takedown and exposure followed by a gut wrench to run the score quickly up to 8-0. Both women would exchange takedowns before Yepez would put a bow on the matchup at 13-2 with just under a minute remaining.

This would mark her second consecutive first round tech fall victory.

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Austin DeSanto vs Reineri Ortega - Down to the Millisecond

One of RAF’s fastest-moving offense machines was pushed to the limit when University of Iowa’s Austin DeSanto put his title on the line against Reineri Ortega.

Ortega almost completely shut down DeSanto’s offense, surrendering only a shot clock point in the first period and a push out point in the second.

In the third period DeSanto still held his narrow lead of 2-0 with no ability to find more offense. With time winding down Ortega landed a pushout point of his own making the score 2-1 with under ten seconds remaining.

Ortega would empty the gas tank out pushing for the final point of the match and nearly got just that but video review would show DeSanto stayed inbounds with milliseconds to spare on the clock before his sprawl landed him out of bounds just on the right side of the final whistle.

DeSanto was admittedly not confident he had done enough to get the win and vowed to the fans he would come back with more offense after defending his title by a final score of 2-1.

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Rizabek Aitmukhan vs Hayden Zillmer - Aitmukhan’s Bounce Back

It’s not easy coming back from a loss to Kyle Snyder but Rizabek Aitmukhan showed the world he was poised to get another shot at Snyderman’s title in his match with the dangerous All-American Hayden Zillmer.

Zillmer led after the first by the score of 1-0 with only a shot clock point being secured.

Aitmukhan would use physicality to take the lead after two push out points would give him a score of 2-1 to close out the second frame.

Both men would turn up the heat in the third with Aitmukhan striking first with an immediate pushout point followed by a takedown just under 30 seconds into the match. The 5-1 Aitmukhan lead wasn’t safe though as Zillmer would land a takedown with 30 seconds on the clock and a pushout point with 15 left on the clock.

Just when it looked like he may tie the match up in the closing seconds and earn the criteria win, Zillmer was pushed out and Aitmukhan would take home the 6-4 victory.

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Sebastian Rivera vs Haji Aliyev - Olympian vs Olympian

One of the sport’s most likable athletes was at it again when the Rutgers Scarlet Knight turned Olympic bronze medalist made a successful RAF debut against an Olympic silver and bronze medalist.

One of the most underrated matchups on the card featured a bit of a fallout process as Aliyev was able to put the first points on the board over 90 seconds into the match when he jumped out to a 1-0 lead by scoring a push out.

Rivera would steal the period with exposure points in the closing seconds that would give him a 4-1 lead to end the first.

In an entertaining sequence of offense, Aliyev would open the second with two exposure points that Rivera would turn into a reversal point to push the score to 5-3. Aliyev would make things interesting with a takedown to tie things up at 5-5 but just as he did in the first, Rivera would steal the second round and score the only offense of the third period to give him the 9-5 decision win.

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Keegan O'Toole vs Bekzod Abdurakhmonov - Match of the Night

The Missouri crowd was in for a treat when the hometown Mizzou Tiger, Keegan O’Toole took on Olympic bronze medalist Bekzod Abdurakhmonov in a Match of the Night affair that had the entire arena chanting “M-I-Z-Z-O-U.”

Abdurakhmonov struck immediately with a takedown for a 2-0 lead before suffering a gruesome finger injury. Displaying true wrestler-grit, he would tape the finger before continuing the match and even landing exposure points shortly after being put back together.

After closing out the first period 6-0, both men had trouble getting things rolling in the second until Keegan O’Toole landed a last-second takedown pushing the score to 6-2 going into the final frame.

O’Toole would find the perfect window and landed a takedown, exposure points as well as a leg lace to flip the match completely upside down and take an 8-6 lead after trailing the entire match.

With 25 seconds left, both men were going for broke which led to a scramble takedown for O’Toole that would be enough to win the match by the score of 10-6.

O’Toole would pump up the crowd with the performance and interview, even inspiring some in the crowd to adopt the St. Louis-patented “tarps off” celebration before calling it a night.

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Andrew Alirez vs Jaydin Eierman - Grit Meets Grit

One of the most closely-matched clashes on the card took place early in the night when NCAA National Champion, Andrew Alirez met hometown hero Jaydin Eierman.

Alirez notched the first points of the match with a takedown with less than a minute remaining. Eierman would try and tie things back up with a takedown quickly after but was reversed and the score would remain 3-2 in favor of Alirez through the first.

Alirez would quickly strike in the second period as well with a takedown just over 30 seconds in making the score 5-2 that would carry into the third period. Eierman would score a shot clock point with less than a minute remaining but neither man would find any more offense, closing out the match at 5-3 for an Alirez victory.

Alirez told the St. Louis crowd he was more focused on his budding MMA career at the moment but is far from finished with his RAF run.

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Shamil Sharipov vs Yonger Bastida - The NCAA Slayer Returns

Fresh off his pinfall victory over Tony Cassioppi, Shamil Sharipov welcomed the RAF debut of NCAA fan-favorite, Yonger Bastida.

Social media theorized that the unstoppable force of Sharipov may have just met his match when he stood across from Iowa State’s immovable object in Bastida and the first round was exactly what was promised.

Bastida closed out the round with a 1-0 lead after an early shot clock point. He would find himself temporarily choked unconscious by a Sharipov front headlock but even in his temporary slumber wouldn’t give up any points.

With 23 seconds left, however, Sharipov would score a shot clock point as well as exposure points to run his lead to 5-1 to close out the second period.

With 22 seconds left, Bastida would score a takedown but it wouldn’t be enough and the 28-year-old Russian would take the 5-3 victory.

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Arsen Harutyunyan vs Caleb Smith - Start With A Bang

Arsen Harutyunyan and Caleb Smith decided to run up the scoreboard in the opening match of the night to get the packed St. Louis crowd on their feet early.

The two set the tone early with Smith landing a takedown and leg lace less than ten seconds into the first period giving himself a 4-0 lead before Harutyunyan would land a takedown of his own.

Smith would still hold a 4-2 lead but not for long as Harutyunyan would land a takedown and exposure with just under a minute remaining to steal the lead. The Armenian wasn’t done yet though as he landed another takedown and leg lace with one second remaining in the first to close out the period with a 10-4 lead.

In less than a minute, Harutyunyan would score four exposure points to complete the 14-4 tech fall victory.

It was yet another electric crowd, more unforgettable moments, statements made and interesting potential matchups now on the table. The fans may not know exactly what is next but it was yet another memorable night that has shown the fans, just when they think they’ve seen it all, the next show brings even more heat.

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